Zane Lawhorn is trying to get his new building Energy Star certified. This name is given to buildings that use 70 percent less energy than a comparable structure over a time span of one year. But the process is new to many suppliers in the region.
"When you say green building that doesn’t really have a lot of meaning to some people," he said.
"We designed the building to be conservation first, to use the free solar energy second, and the free geothermal energy through the basement area third," he said.
He’s also hoping the building gets LEED certification. That stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
The certification is based on a point system designed by the U.S. Green Building Council. There are several different categories that someone seeking this certification can focus on such as water efficiency and better indoor air quality with paints that emit less volatile organic compounds.
Lawhorn is hoping to gain points from every category but not without some challenges.
"When I first started looking for paint they told me that it didn’t exist," he said. "But after we got to looking they did, they just didn't realize it."
He’s also hoping to get points in the “innovation and design process” with the unique floor plan. The offices are all located in the middle of the building surrounded by the hallways along the outside walls. This helps with air flow and will conserve the energy needed to heat and cool the building.
He says the design is unfamiliar to the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s office.
"They’re just not really comfortable with this construction yet because this is the first of it’s kind," he said. "It’s difficult for them as well as for us in making sure we do things in a proper manner."
Lawhorn says he sees the green effort as a necessity in planning for the future.
"The fact is energy costs are going up," he said, "and if you don’t plan for that you’re going to be hurting."
He says there is a mountain of paperwork to do, but despite the challenges, the money he expects to save on utility costs as well as the thought of saving a piece of the planet makes it worth it.
"The issue is a lot of people in our area just don’t make that extra effort," he said.
Lawhorn’s office, Lindsey Optical, will share the building with House of Brides, a bridal shop. It’s expected to open with in January 2009.